inflatable kayaks market share?

Hi Guys
i am thinking of investing in an inftable kayak.
would you recommend the advanced elements kayaks?

also i was just guessing what would be the market share of inflatabe kayaks compared to the solid kayaks in the US?

i reckon 40%.
any feedback here?

There  are very few anglers on this blog who use inflatable yaks. Punctures from hooks, gaffs or white sharks are of concern.  Wind cocking and tracking are also an issue. All that said, in the warm waters of Florida, it would probably be fine. As long as there weren't gators around. If you google inflatable kayaks, there are several sites with reviews. As with any yak decisions, you should test drive before buying.

The only one I paddled did not track very well.

40% ??? I don't think I've seen ANY NCKA bros paddling an inflatable to-date... so I would guess 1% or less. If more have them, they sure aren't bringing it out OTW.   

Peace 2 U

If NCKA is any indication of their 'market share' then I suspect among kayak fishers that number would be far less than 1%. I think there might be one or two NCKAer's that have them but not as their primary fishing kayak.

Besides the things that Scott mentioned you should think about the other limitations that come with an inflatable kayak such as lack of places to mount rod holders, fish finders, etc and less capacity for gear with a smaller or no rear tankwell or hatches for internal storage.

40% ??? I don't think I've seen ANY NCKA bros paddling an inflatable to-date... so I would guess 1% or less. If more have them, they sure aren't bringing it out OTW. 

I'm with John and Jim.  I don't know anyone around here (Norcal) that uses them.  At least they never post on this site.  i think it would be a poor investment for use around here.

I know of one successful guy that posts occasionally that fishes out of an inflatable but I think that's only til he can afford a hard boat.

All the above points are good ones too and I agree with them all.  Of all the yaks I see I'd guess even including non fishers the share is still less than 5%.

On the other hand,,,,,

I test paddled a few some years ago at a demo day,  one was the Advanced Elements Frame.  I'm not much of a paddler but I was impressed by this one.  The others had a higher profile and really floated high so were greatly affected by the wind and each stroke literally sent them turning in the opposite direction. The AEF has a pretty low profile, and felt more like an extention of my body than a boat I was sitting in/on.  this made the crappy tracking less noticeable.  The materials and construction seemed allot better than I expected as well. With all that said I have 3 hard boats and no inflatables but having paddled one I think the AEF is a pretty nice boat.  Looking at it you can see that it would really be stable and thinking of using it as a dive boat I climbed in and out a few times, I was surprised at how well that went too (easier than a hard sided yak for sure).

i know there is a fisherman on the american river that uses and inflatable hobie with mirage drive. playing with them in the store they feel of good qulity and salesman says they work good. that being said i think there are just too many variables to think about in an inflatable, punctures, limited riging, and things of that sort. 

About 25 years ago I did a 4 day kayak/fish trip down the Deschutes River. There were 4 of us and we each had a 2 person inflatable kayak. It was just right to store our gear and run the river.
Self bailing and pretty tough kayaks; they did great through the rapids.
Twenty five years later and a ton more experience under my belt I would still use the inflatable kayak for that particular adventure, but that's about as far as I would go with it.
I am much more comfortable knowing my kayak will not fail me due to hooks, gaffs, knives, fish spines, boilers, teeth, spear guns, rocks, urchins, glass, disgarded rusty materials....the list goes on and on.
I can really see the advantage of an inflatable over a solid kayak if you have storage issues, transportation issues, or you want to hit a lake in the wilderness where you would have to backpack a kayak to gain access. Other than that, not so much.
I like not having to inflate and deflate my kayak every time I want to use it. I like not having to walk on egg shells worrying about punctures or leaks. I like being able to trailer my fully rigged kayak if I choose so. I like not having to worry about elevation issues, which is definitely something to consider if you were to haul it inflated.
Out of the thousands of serious kayak fishers I have come across not one crosses my mind who used an inflatable kayak.

BMB has or had one. Don't know if he still does. He was using it on road trips when he worked I believe. Kept it in his trunk.

Welcome to our board, mastana! Lots of good advice given already. It might help if you let us know what kind of fishing you'll be doing down there in sunny Florida.

If talking inflatable hobies, then maybe less than a dozen guys.  Outside of hobies, ive seeen an inflatable otw three times in the last ten years.  One time out of marin, unknown angler paddling paddling a canvas/nylon covered rubber ducky.  The other time was lexington bass fishing.  Then finally one guy fishing in the delta.  Not really compelling examples of their utility.  There isna bit of deaign work to be done before inflatables' convenience catch up w their performance/ safety deficiencies

Inflatables are great for running white-water rivers. Thats about it.

I had one for years, a sevylor, I had it all over the southeast, caught a Bluefish at Nags Head, and trout in the Chatooga in GA, what Jack said: awesome in white water, but I wouldnt go Rockfishing with it, wouldnt last an hour. Easy to pack into a hidden lake....

Hi Yakers:

  I have seen Divers at VanDamme State Park use them.
They look cool easy in and out but, the NW wind would
limit my range. My Fav. are  Scupper Pro Tw and the
 Scupper Classic.


                                                               Regards
                                                               Ernie